Injured Appendage
by JasNutter
Summary: Leo coddles. Nico blushes and swoons.


"Alright, Nico, very still now…_Stay still_, Nico!"

Leonardo groaned and stepped back, a dropper and a vial half-filled with a clear, suspicious fluid held aloft. "I promise you, if this were not safe I would never try it on you."

"You don't _know_ if it is safe!" Nico snapped, glaring. He then dropped his gaze under Leonardo's pointed look.

"Sorry, Maestro."

Maestro uttered an impatient sound and leaned in again, gesturing for Nico to look up. Nico did so reluctantly, hoping desperately to survive this experiment. This one experiment – and he would never concur to another again. Never. The dropper descended; he watched with looming dread.

Right at that moment, to Nico's immense relief, (and Leonardo's immense chagrin), the door banged open. Leonardo jolted and cursed, missing Nico's eyes completely.

"Ah, Leo, Leo!" Zoroaster breezed in, a large body swathed in white in his arms. "I come bearing gifts!" Nico hurried to clear the table, fighting down a horrible wave of nausea arising at the pungent stench of rotting flesh.

"One fresh corpse, newly exhumed, just as you requested. Take a gander", he announced, setting the body upon the cleared surface. Nico watched with nervous fascination as Leonardo set down his vials and walked eagerly around the table, whipping the fabric off the nude dead. He poked at the pale flesh.

"Is this what fresh is, Zo?" He commented, pacing around the body, prodding and examining. Nico fancied he could hear the maestro's brain whir even quicker. "Do endeavor not to hurl, Nico."

Nico swallowed, (he really ought to be used to corpses by now), and Zo crossed his arms and scowled darkly.

"Best I could do, with Dragonetti prowling about like a famished hound in search of blood. My blood, exclusively, it seems. And I had to do it alone, didn't I", he turned to scowl at Nico. "You said you'd help me."

Nico shrugged helplessly, gesticulating towards Leonardo. As though his could actually remain predictable with Leonardo Da Vinci involved.

"I needed him here", Maestro murmured absently, bent over the body. Nico watched him turn the head to one side, and then to the other. He straightened up abruptly, and produced a notebook.

"Take notes, Nico", he demanded, tossing it. Nico only barely caught it, the leather-bound edge hitting against his injured hand painfully and eliciting a pained hiss and grimace. His Maestro immediately turned, concerned in a most disarming fashion, and in a few short step he had abandoned his beloved dead and was standing over Nico, peering down at him. Calloused fingers cupped his face.

"Have I hurt you?" He inquired gently.

"No", Nico said hastily, looking away from the tender, discomfiting gaze. To his wild misfortune, his eyes landed on Zo, who leaned against a wall, an obscenely knowing smirk plastered across his face. Nico shuffled bashfully, and tried to free himself from Leonardo's touch – albeit half-heartedly. "No, Maestro."

He dared glance up at Leonardo again, and promptly felt as though he'd swallowed a lot of mead very quickly. Heat crept up his cheeks, yet, it seemed, even though he felt as though he would aspirate on his own saliva, he found he was incapable of looking away.

"You needn't take notes", Leonardo said to him sincerely, stroking down the side of his neck. "If your hand troubles you, you may just say so. I shan't be cross with you."

"It doesn't –" Nico choked. "Uh – it doesn't bother me so, Maestro."

Leonardo regarded him for a second, while Nico's stomach fluttered about wildly, and turned with a suddenness that was alarming.

"Take notes if you like, then", he said airly, striding back to the neglected body waiting patiently atop the table and wielding a blade. Nico fumbled with the notebook, feverishly avoiding looking at Zo, who was, for sure, sporting the worst kind of smirk he could muster.

"Death: Three to four days prior. Cause: Poisoning; I can ascertain that by the remnant foam – although if I recall correctly he was claimed to have died naturally. What felony. Shattered patella; right digitus primus fractured –"

Nico scribbled frantically as Leonardo drew observations at a break-neck speed, slashing away at the corpse. His hand ached terribly, and he could feel, still, his Maestro's touch on his face and neck. He tried not to pay it mind, and failed miserably.

"I'll leave you to it, then, shall I", Zo said loudly, pushing himself up off the wall as Leonardo completed having Nico sketch various profiles of the deceased man and wondered off to wash off his hands. "I'll expect my commission tonight, in wine and pork." He winked at Nico, who scowled and nursed his hand, glaring at his retreating back. The notebook was folded carefully and returned to the desk, and Nico was already planning to leave off to his room and soak his wounded hand in warm water. He turned to inform Leonardo that he was taking his leave, and almost jumped a foot to find him standing right behind him, eyes dancing mirthfully.

"How sweet you are, Nico", he said, reaching out to smooth Nico's hair with utmost tenderness, lips quirking in amusement. "You needn't have taken those notes, not when your hand troubles you so."

"I – it was", Nico stammered, flushing a deep scarlet to the roots of his hair and timidly eyeing his feet. "It was no trouble, Maestro."

"Oh, you are. So very sweet. My darling Nico", Leonardo breathed, tipping up his face. Nico caught his gaze and his breath stuttered at the warmth on blatant display. Leonardo's fingers trailed down his arm, catching his injured hand in his own. Nico shivered as it was examined with great care and light fingers.

"It's healing well", he stated softly, and, Nico watched in wonder as it happened, brought the palm up to brush his lips gently over the scars. "Riario, the fuckwit, I could mangle him myself." Another kiss was planted, and Nico feared the dangers of a stroke. "My poor, poor Nico." He leaned forward; Nico's hand still clasped in his own, and kissed his forehead; his eyelids; his cheeks; his nose. Nico's eyelids fluttered; he thought he might have died.

And all too soon, Leonardo relinquished his gentle grasp.

"I'll see you tonight, Nico", he was grinning. "Pork and wine it is, for you carnivorous lot."

Nico nodded and walked out dazedly, still feeling his Maestro's lips on his face, and very much looking forward to tonight.


End file.
